Rags or Riches
by Sabbatha de Lioncourt
Summary: Link has been married to Zelda since he defeated Ganon and saved Hyrule ten yers ago. Now a father of two and a seemingly happy husband, he meets an old friend... and falls in love...
1. Chapter One

Link stood alone on the palace balcony, his long blonde hair whipping about his face, his bright blue eyes scouring the beautiful land of Hyrule that lay before him. His land. Filled with his people. Ever since he'd defeated Ganondorf ten years ago, the now 26-year-old Link had been King of Hyrule. He'd been given that title after marrying Princess Zelda, now Queen. The new princess was their beautiful 5-year-old daughter Omriy and their infant son Anuerin was prince.  
  
"Daddy?" came Omriy's gentle tiny voice, shaking him from his thoughts.  
  
He turned to her and she reached for him to pick her up. He lifted her and sat her on the rail holding carefully so she didn't fall. Her golden hair lifted gently in the breeze and her blue silk dress flowed about her, making her look like the little angel she was.  
  
"I see the lake, Daddy!" she cried joyously, pointing out Lake Hylia as if she'd found a treasure in the dirt.  
  
"Yes! Isn't it beautiful?" he agreed.  
  
"Uh huh! That's where you and mommy got married!"  
  
Link smiled at the happy memory. He was about to comment on it when he saw the milk cart from Lon Lon Ranch rattling up to the palace steps. The driver was not the usual Talon. It was a redheaded someone and Link was curious. He picked up Omriy and left the balcony.  
  
He made his way outside with the little girl in his arms and ran across the field to where the milk cart was being emptied by soldiers. That was different. Since when did the soldiers empty the milk cart? One look at the cart's driver answered Link's question: when a beautiful woman was stuck with the task herself. It wasn't just any beautiful woman. It was Malon.  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed when she saw him. It was the first time they'd come face to face since before Hylia had been saved.  
  
"His Majesty, young lady!" corrected on of the soldiers.  
  
"No, that's alright," Link said. He had never much liked being called "Your Majesty" or any of those names. "Hey, Malon!" "Hi! Wow, it's been so long. Is this your daughter?"  
  
"I'm Princess Omriykaah!" Omriy giggled.  
  
Malon smiled and curtsied. "Good morning, Princess! She's beautiful, Link. She looks just like you."  
  
Link blushed. "Thanks."  
  
"Well," she said, flashing him a smile that made his knees feel wobbly, "I should be going. Good day!"  
  
"Yes, uh, bye, Malon," Link said, hoping his burning cheeks weren't visible.  
  
Malon smiled again and let a soldier assist her back up onto her cart. She waved at Omriy who returned the gesture and took off. 


	2. Chapter Two

"More wine, Sire?"  
  
"No, thanks," Link said. He pushed his empty plate away and sat back in his chair. He gazed across the table at Zelda. She was beautiful, but she could hardly outdo the gorgeous redheaded woman floating through his mind  
  
How could she have gotten so incredibly beautiful? Link thought to himself. How is Zelda still supposed to be the most beautiful woman in Hyrule? How could they not notice Malon?!  
  
"Link? Link?"  
  
Link looked up at Zelda. "Yeah?"  
  
"Are you okay? You seem.distant."  
  
"Oh, no.I'm fine, Ma-uh, Zelda. I'll be back."  
  
He jumped up and made his way to the master bedchamber and collapsed on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, he felt a pang of guilt come shudder through him. He was a married man. Married and in love. These feelings weren't fair to Zelda.  
  
"Link?"  
  
Zelda crept into the room and sat next to her husband on the bed.  
  
"Are you alright? You've been unusually quiet since this morning. What's wrong?"  
  
Link looked into her concerned, blue eyes. He reached up and she snuggled into his arms.  
  
"I'm.fine," he said, figuring it wasn't really a lie. "Just tired." Also not a lie.  
  
"Okay, that's good," Zelda replied, kissing him briefly on the lips, "because we have plans tomorrow."  
  
"Do we?"  
  
"We do. The milkman, Talon, has fallen extremely ill. His daughter's been left with the duties of their ranch. Since he's been servicing Hyrule for years, I think it's only right if we go and make a visit."  
  
Link's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't possibly.  
  
"Uh.no, I'll stay."  
  
"What?" The concerned look returned. "But, you must! It would be so rude if you didn't!"  
  
She was right. He had to go. "Alright, I'm sorry."  
  
"Good.and that's quite alright, my dear. I just wish you'd tell me what's wrong because now I know something's the matter."  
  
She kissed him again, longer this time and therefore filling with more guilt then before. She broke it gently and left the room. 


	3. Chapter Three

"Link, wake up, please!" Zelda pleaded. "You're going to make us late!"  
  
Link had been feigning sleep for the past hour, praying Zelda would leave without him or think he was sick. He couldn't possibly accompany her to Lon Lon Ranch. Malon had run through his mind everytime he got close to Zelda for the past two days and the last thing he needed was to have them both in the same room.  
  
Why am I so damn attracted to her?! he thought.  
  
He finally pulled his head from the pillow and yawned as though he'd just woken up. Zelda was hurriedly dressing Omriy while a maid fussed over baby Anuerin.  
  
"Daddy's up!" Omriy chanted. The baby giggled along with her as the maid tugged his shirt over his golden-curled head.  
  
"Finally!" Zelda scowled. "Get dressed and hurry! We're late!"  
  
Link grabbed his green tunic, only to have it snatched away by his wife. She grabbed him by the hair and furiously yanked a brush through it.  
  
"Ah! Zelda, what the-"  
  
"If you're going to be a king, please at least try to look like one every once and a while!"  
  
He grimaced as she brushed the tangles from his hair and then almost cried when she handed him the outfit she wanted him to wear. He'd look like a king, alright.  
  
"Zelda, this is ridiculous," he complained, holding up the golden tunic. It was decorated with suns and moons of silver and looked like something he'd expect to find his daughter wearing to bed.  
  
"So is your behavior the past few days!" she spat back.  
  
The guilt stabbed his heart again and he went to change without further complaint. He stood alone in the dressing room when he was finished, not wanting to go back out there. Why did Talon have to be sick? All of this could have been so easily prevented. He felt so shallow, wallowing over this girl he didn't even know just because she was beautiful when he had a gorgeous wife who's personality he loved as much as the rest of her. Or did he? She was always nagging at him to be better, perfect. And she was never satisfied with him, even when he did his best to please her. She never seemed to have time for him when he needed her. She was always taking on the kingly duties she complained he never helped her with though she pushed him away when he tried. Did he love her personality?  
  
Of course I do! his mind hissed at him. Of course I love her!  
  
Her? Wasn't he talking about her personality? He couldn't take it anymore. He shook away the thoughts and went back to the bedroom.  
  
"Good, you're ready! Hmm." Zelda looked him over then gently tugged at one of his long bangs. "You need a haircut."  
  
He liked his hair long and she knew that!  
  
"Uh.sure, Zelda. Let's just go and get back alright?" 


	4. Author's Note

Hello. My apologies for not updating in a while. A "friend" of mine sent me a virus and I was left computerless for some time. But I shall resume updates now that my computer is well again.  
  
To TIMBRAIN: I can assure you, the chapters will be getting longer and sorry that they were so short. Thank you for your three encouraging reviews!  
  
To Ron's Girly: Thank you for your wonderful review, and I will be continuing. I'm not sure what Link will do ; ) so if you have any ideas of your own, send them in a review and I will do my best to mix them in.  
  
To linkflame456: Thanks for the review!  
  
Okay.I'll put up the next chapter today.  
  
~Sabbatha de Lioncourt~ 


	5. Chapter 4

Lon Lon Ranch was alive with the excitement of the people of Hyrule come to wish Talon well. Link was surprised that everyone was so devoted to the milkman, but it was a nice thing nonetheless. He quickly made note of the fact that Malon was inside tending to her father while he received guests and preparing food for her visitors. So, to be far from her, he took his children and went off to introduce them to the horses.  
  
"This one's Epona," he told Omriy, pointing to his old horse. She was indeed an old horse now. Gray had taken over the majority of her once bright auburn coat and her mane was wispy and thin. But her eyes were as bright and wild as the day he'd met her when she was a young colt.  
  
"She's pretty, Daddy! I want a horsie!" Omriy exclaimed.  
  
"Well, maybe we'll see about getting you a Lon Lon horse. They're the best in Hyrule."  
  
"They sure are."  
  
Link jumped at the smooth familiar voice.  
  
"Daddy! It's the pretty milk lady!"  
  
Link turned to see Malon curtsy to his daughter, who giggled and waved. He felt like his whole body was on fire. He turned away from her and tried to look collected and uninterested but she continued to speak to him.  
  
"So you want a Lon Lon horse? I have a newborn that she might like," she offered.  
  
"Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever. That's fine," Link said a little too coldly.  
  
Malon frowned. "Okay, well, I'll just take her to look at it, then."  
  
Link said nothing, but sighed with relief. Malon was going to look at horses. He was safe. He turned around at last. And walked right into Malon.  
  
She burst into a stream on melodic laughter that sent his senses buzzing. "What? Are you afraid of me or something?" She could barely speak over her giggles. "You haven't changed a bit, Link. Haha, your Majesty, sorry." Link was confused. He stared at her wondering what was so funny. Did she notice his uneasiness around her? He was taken off guard when she slipped her hand into his.  
  
"Uh, Malon, I don't think-" - "Come on, don't you want to go see the horses with us?" she asked innocently. She really had no idea what she doing to him. His hand was tingling and so were his cheeks. What if Zelda saw them hand in hand? He wanted to pull his hand away but found it protested to his will to move.  
  
"Uh, yeah, sure," she said in a voice slightly higher than normal. He watched her pick up Anuerin with her free arm and as Omriy grabbed his other hand, he had a fluttering vision of the four of them as a family. A happy, normal family. With parents truly in love and not always separated and disagreeing over legal matters that he really didn't care about.  
  
He shook that from his mind quickly. That was horrible. He had a family and Malon was NOT part of it. But of course, at that exact moment, she tightened her grip on his hand. He could have melted.  
  
"Daddy!" Omriy cried, pulling him from his blasphemous daydreams. "Daddy, look! Horsies!"  
  
Omriy tore off into the field to see the creatures and Malon let Anuerin down and he crawled after her.  
  
"They're so sweet, Link," she said softly.  
  
"Uh, yeah," he replied.  
  
"Are you alright? You seem a little uncomfortable."  
  
"Oh, no! I'm fine." Why did he do that? Why didn't he just tell her he didn't want to hold her hand? Cause he did? But did he? NO, he was married. Happily. "No, I'm okay."  
  
She giggled, throwing him into a feeling of oblivion. Her laughter was like a drug and he loved it. For some reason, it drove away all his insecurity and he suddenly didn't care about anything else. He just wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted to swim in her giggles.  
  
"Laugh again," he said.  
  
"What? Why?" she giggled.  
  
"I like it."  
  
She blushed this time and giggled some more. "I like you."  
  
His head swam with those words. Didn't she know he was married? Of course she did! She was just being friendly. He was taking this too much to heart.  
  
"Well, I like you too," he said, convincing himself it was just friendly.  
  
The two of them blushed together and he mentally slapped himself for opening his mouth. Was it really friendly? 


	6. Chapter 5

Link's head was reeling. He couldn't see an inch in front of his face and the silence was crushing him. The cold surrounded him and he knew he was going to die. At least he would if he kept up like this. He'd spent the day with his hand in the hand of a woman who was not his wife and confessed to her that he liked her. He more than liked her, who was he kidding?  
  
But all this was ridiculous! He didn't even know her. He had known her though, and he liked what he knew then in Malon better than what he knew now in Zelda. How could he tell Zelda any of this? He had to tell her. He couldn't keep this under wraps. He had a conscience after all and this was not sitting well with it.  
  
Images of Malon were pouring were pouring through his brain, threatening to drive him insane.  
  
"Link? Link!" Zelda cried.  
  
Link opened his eyes and everything suddenly stopped. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. Zelda's face hovered in the blur that hung in the air around him. She looked concerned and confused.  
  
"Malon?" He heard that name come from somewhere. It took him a few moments to realize that "somewhere" was his own lips.  
  
"Malon?" Zelda asked. "Link, it's me, Zelda. You're burning up. You must have caught something when you were running around in those fields with the children and.Malon." Zelda trailed off. The natural flush in her cheeks paled and she took her hand from his head. "You're sick, darling. Sleep."  
  
She left the room a bit hurriedly and Link's eyes fell closed again. What he had just done to Zelda dawned on him slowly and painfully. What was wrong with him? This was all not right. But, he was sick she had said. Sick. That had to be it. That was the problem. He was sick and it was messing his mind up.  
  
"I love her," he told himself, intending the "her" to mean Zelda. But he wasn't so sure that was the "her" it ended up being.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Daddy, wake up! The lady is here." Link rolled over, groggy with sleep, and was greeted by the gleeful face of his baby girl. He smiled back at her and sat up. Instinctively, he reached over to wake Zelda, but he felt nothing beside him but the bed. It was still made.  
  
"Where's mommy?" he asked Omriy.  
  
"She slept with me last night, Daddy."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Omriy shrugged as she picked up one of Link's tunics off the floor where he had a habit of leaving them.a habit Zelda never ceased to yell at him for, even when he managed to get his clothes put away. Omriy pulled it around her shoulders like a blankie and stuffed her thumb in her mouth, a habit of her own.  
  
"Come on, Daddy! Lady's waiting," she said, allowing her thumb to leave her mouth for a second.  
  
Lady? Who was Lady? Probably one of Zelda's friends whom Link was expected to greet like the king he was. The king he was forced to be.  
  
"Alright, I'm coming. Tell mommy I'm getting dressed and she just has to hold on a moment."  
  
"Mommy's asleep, Daddy," Omriy said as she walked out of the room. 


End file.
